1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic apparatus such as a personal computer and a cellular phone.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electronic apparatus such as a laptop personal computer and a foldable cellular phone includes a main body portion and a display portion, and the main body portion and the display portion are coupled to each other so as to be openable/closable (foldable) via a hinge. Such an electronic apparatus needs to be provided with a coupling member such as a hinge having a certain axis diameter or more in order to obtain a torque to hold a position of the display portion with respect to the main body portion (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2008-298278 (paragraph [0023] and FIGS. 1 and 2), for example; hereinafter, referred to as Patent Document 1).
Further, there has been recently known an electronic apparatus as described above, in which the main body portion and the display portion are coupled to each other via an articulated hinge in order to increase a degree of freedom in position (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2008-228249 (paragraphs [0025] and [0034] and FIG. 7), for example; hereinafter, referred to as Patent Document 2).
In the electronic apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 2, the main body portion and the display portion are coupled by a chain mechanism in which two thin metal plates having flexibility are provided. One of the thin plates has one end that is fixed to the main body portion and the other end that is inserted into a groove portion provided to the display portion. The other thin plate has one end that is fixed to the display portion and the other end that is inserted into a groove portion provided to the main body portion. Each of the other ends of the two thin plates includes a projected portion. On the other hand, a plurality of recessed portions with which the projected portions are engaged are formed at predetermined positions of the groove portions that are provided to the main body portion and the display portion.
In the electronic apparatus, the chain mechanism is interlocked with an open/close operation of the electronic apparatus so that the two thin plates slide within the groove portions while being deformed in accordance with the interlock. When the electronic apparatus enters a predetermined open state, the projected portions provided to the thin plates are engaged with the recessed portions of the groove portions, and thus the open state in a desired position is held.